Apparatus for surfacing glass and the like



Aug. 17 1926.

A. E. EVAN$ APPARATUS FOR SURFAGING GLASS AND LIKE Filed June 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 q lNVENTOR 5 4 60% A Aug 3? y 1926?.

A. E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR SURFACIIv'G GLASS AND THE LIKE Filed June 5" 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T N E v N MJ- 8. iww

Aug. 17 1926.

A; E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR SURFACING GLASS AND THE LIKE Filed June 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 H R N IQ I O O INVENTOR Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

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UNITED STATES PArN'r Fries.

ALBERT E. EVANS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANiA, ASSIGNGE 'I'O PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR SURFACING GLASS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 5,

The invention relates to apparatus for surfacing (grinding or polishing) sheets of material, such as glass, and the like, the apparatus having its greatest utility in connec- 6 tion with the grinding and polishing of plate glass in a straight-away operation in which the glass to'be surfaced, supported on trucks or carriers, is passed beneath a series of grinding and polishing machines. The invention involves a modification of the apparatus of my application, Serial No. 636,327, filed May 3, 1923, in that the driving motor, or other power means, instead of forming a part of the removable self-contained surfacing unit is separate therefrom, being mounted either on the inner end of the counterbalancing lever or on the fixed framework of the machine and having driving connections with the surfacing unit of such character that they may be readily discon-v nected when it is desired to remove the surfacing unit from the machine. The power transmission means between the motor, or the drive shaft on the framework, and surfacing unit is preferably a belt or sprocket chain, but any other suitable transmission means, not interfered with by the up and down movements of the unit and readily disconnectable therefrom might be employed. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

F igure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1. And Figs. 5 to 8 are side elevations illustrating modifications.

Referring to the construction as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the glass to be ground or polished is carried upon a series of trucks or tables 1, mounted upon the tracks 2, the tables being moved along the tracks by means of the racks 3 secured to the lower sides of the trucks and engaged by the spur gears 4 driven from'the pinions 5 carried upon transverse shafts 6.

The framework of the machine is similar to that shown in my application referred to being made up of channels 7, 8, 9 and 10 riveted or bolted together and carrying the bracket or support 11 which is preferably a steel casting. Extending transversely of the upper end of this castin: is a pivot rod 12 and upon this is mounted the lever 13. pro villed at one end with a pair of book shaped 1923. Serial No. 643,501.

members 14, and at the other end counterbalanced by means of the rod 15. The surfacing unit which is carried by the lever consists of a tubular support 16 provided with suitable bearings in which is journaled the runner shaft 17 carrying at its lower end the runner 18 and at its upper end provided with a bevel gear 19.

The support 16 also carries at its upper end a gear casing 20 in which is journaled a shaft 21 carrying a bevel gear 22 for driving the gear 19 and a pulley 23. The pulley 23 is driven by the-belt 24 passing around the drive pulley 25 of the motor 26.

The motor 26 is mounted upon the inner end of the lever 13 and serves tocounterbalance the surfacing unit carried by the outer end of such lever. The motor is secured to the lever by means of the bolts 27 working in suitable slots in the base of the motor and is adjustable toward and from the surfacing unit in order to adjust the tension of the belt by means of the bolts 28 and 29.

The hook shaped members 14 at the outer end of the lever 13 engage the trunnions 30, extending laterally from the support 16, and preferably made integral therewith. In order to prevent the accidental displacement of the trunnions from the members 14, the caps 31 are provided pivoted at one end to the lever and secured at the other end by means of suitable clamping bolts 32. The lower end of the support 16 is secured by means of a link 33 pivoted on a transverse rod 34 carried by the casting 11 and having its outer ends hook shaped as indicated at 35 and fitting over laterally extending trunnions 36 carried by the support. In this manner the support 16 is maintained at all times in a true vertical position and at the same time free to oscillate vertically.

Pivoted to the inner end of the lever 13 is the yoke 37 (Fig. 4) and extending through the bottom of this yoke is the adjusting rod 15 provided at its upper end with'a head 38 with the spring 39 interposed between such head and the bottom of the yoke. The lower portion of therod. is threaded so that the tension of the spring 39 may be adjusted by means the hand wheel 40 which is threaded onto the rod. Lying above the hand wheel 40 is the sleeve 41 pivotally mounted to oscillate in the brackets 42 carried. bv the channel bars 9.

Q2 wease It will be seen from the foregoing that the surfacing unit is counterbalanced by the weight of the motor and by the spring 39 which is subject to adjustment so that the force exerted by the runner upon the glass may be regulated to suit requirements. In case it becomes necessary to repair or replace the runner bars, or to repair the driving mechanism of the surfacing unit, this may be very readily accomplished upon disconnecting the belt 2% and removing the surfacing unit bodily, this latter function being accomplished by means of an overhead crane or some equivalent apparatus. Spare surfacing units can be kept ready for use so that upon the removal of one unit, it may be replaced by another without waiting to repair the unit which is removed.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in which the motor 43 is mounted upon the fixed framework of the machine instead of being carried upon the counterbalancing lever a l. The belt drive is employed here, as in the construction of Fig. l. but instead of the bevel gear reduction of the Fig. 1 construe tion a worm is employed upon the shaft 45 which drives a worm wheel 46 carried in the casing 47. In other particulars, the construction corresponds to that of Fig. 1.

' In the constructionof Fig. 6, the shaft 48 of the motor 49 is arranged vertically in stead of horizontally and the runner shaft 50 is driven directly by means of the belt 51 passing around the pulleys 52 and 53. The lower end of the motor shaft 48 is supported in bearing 54 carried by the framework of the machine, and the weight of the runner is counterbalanced by means of a lever pivoted on the rod 56 and having its outer forked end 57 in engagement with a thrust collar 58 carried by the runner shaft. The arrangement for adjusting the lever 5:, including the rod 59 and hand wheel 60 is similar to that heretofore described.

Fig. 7 illustrates still another moditicw tion in which the runner shaft 61 is driven directly from the motor 62 by means of the belt 63 passing around the pulleys (A and (55. l he tubular support 66 in which the runner shaft is journaled is provided with laterally extending trunnious 67 having an engagement with the counter-balancing lever 68 corresponding to that in the Fig. 1 construction. The adjustment of the lever is also accomplished in a manner similar to that employed in Fig. l by means of the rod 69.

In the modification of Fig. 8, the shaft 70 of the motor 73. journaled at its lower end in the motor casing Wltl'l the drive pulley intermediate the supporting bearings for the shaft, the runner shaft '72 being here driven directly by means of the belt 73 as in the Fig. 7 construction. The weight oi the runner. and shaft is supported by means of a ball thrust bearing 74.- carried by the tubular support '75, and the connection between the lever 76 and the support including the trunnions 77 is the same as in the Fig. '7 construction. is. yielding adjust ment of the rod 78 is secured by means of the hand wheel 79 threaded on the rod and bearing against the spring 80 which is seated at its upper end against a bracket 81 carriedby the beams 82. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a large number of arrangements might be employed for driving the runner shaft from a motor or line shaft carried by the framework of the machine, and that in all cases convenient means are provided permitting the ready removal of the surfacing unit for replacement or repair. A wide variety of gear reductions is also possible, although those of the type illustnted are preferred. If a motor is employed as a driving means, it is also feasible to mount the motor on the cminterbalancing lever as illustr d in Fig. 1, although in general it is ,erred to mount the motor upon the framework of the machine rather than upon the lever. and While it is feasible to drive gnurality of machines from a line shaft et-uending loa gitudinally of the series, it is in my opinion better practice to have individual driving means, such as an electric motor for cacti machine.

V /hat I claim is:

1. In. combination in a surfacing machine, a framework, a surfacing unit mounted and guided for vertical movement with re.- reset to the framework and comprising a sunnort provided with bearings, a vertical. i ner shaft journaled therein. and a runner sc cured to the lower end of the shaft. dri Ting means mounted independent of said unit to one side thereof, counterbalancirig means connected to the support, and driving connections between the driving means and said runner shaft. the said unit being reieasably supported upon the framework so that it may be removed bodily herefrom.

2. In combination in a surfacing machine,

a framework, a surfacing unit mounted for vertical movement with respect to the trains work and comprising a support prm'ided with bearings. a vertical runner r naled therein, and a runner securci lower end of the shaft, driving mounted independent of said unit to one side thereof, releasable driving connections between the driving means and runner shaft, means for suppor ng and cons balancing said unit comprisin a .V-- ing a releasable connection !"3- port, and means tending to more said upwardly.

3. in combination in a su sing machine a fixed framework for the .nachine, pOTVXi. means carried thereby, a scit contained surfacing unit comprising a support. a runnerv and a runner shaft journaled in the support, releasable driving connectionsintermediate the power means and the runner shaft, a pair of arms one above the other pivoted to the framework and having pivotal releasable connections with said support, and means conne pted to one of said arms for counterbalancing the unit.

l. In combination in a surfacing machine, a framework, power means carried thereby, a self-contained surfacing unit mounted at one side of the framework and comprising (1) a vertical tubular support provided with spaced bearings, (2) a runner shaft journaled in said bearings and (3) a runner carried by the lower end of the shaft, a lever arm pivoted on the upper portion of the framework and having releasable pivotal connection at its outer end with the upper end of said support, guide means carried by the framework below such lever rcleasably engaging the lower end of such support, adjustable means engaging the inner end of said lever for applying force for counterbalancing the weight of the unit, and

releasable driving connections between said power means and said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of June, 1923.

ALBERT E. EVANS. 

